Watts, Carl B., 1919-2016
Person
Dates
- Existence: July 12, 1919 to April 17, 2016
Biographical
Carl B. Watts was born on July 12, 1919, to Donna and William Cloyd Watts in Topeka, Kansas. He was the oldest of four boys. After graduating from Enterprise Academy in Kansas in 1939, he worked as a colporteur [literature evangelist] for a year.
Then he went to Union College but withdrew from school in 1941 and returned to Kansas to serve as the Publishing Department Secretary of the conference. He married Lois May Shepherdson in 1942 and they subsequently had two children. In the fall of 1945 Carl and Lois May returned to Union College and both graduated in 1949. He was then called to the Missouri Conference as a pastor, and in 1955 was ordained to the gospel ministry.
In 1955 the Watts family received a call to work as missionaries in Japan. Carl served the Publishing Department for five years before moving to be the Publishing Secretary of the Japan Union Mission. In 1960 he became the President of the Okinawa Mission, and In 1967 the President of the Japan Union Mission. His final mission appointment was as the Field Secretary of the Far Eastern Division beginning in 1972 for one year until the family returned to the United States.
In addition to his regular administrative service, Watts oversaw two notable projects. The first is the building of the Adventist hospital in Okinawa, Japan, in 1960, when he was the President of the Okinawa Mission. And in 1972, when he was serving in the Division, he assisted in the building of the Kobe Adventist Hospital in Kobe, Japan. These were monumental achievements as the only Adventist hospital in Japan at the time was in Tokyo. He also led the way to the Union leadership being turned over to the indigenous people as he was the last non-Japanese president of the Japan Union Mission.
After their 18 years of missionary service in Japan, Carl and Lois May, in 1973, returned to the United States where Carl became the pastor of the Escondido, California, church. Carl retired in 1989, and passed away on April 17, 2016.
Then he went to Union College but withdrew from school in 1941 and returned to Kansas to serve as the Publishing Department Secretary of the conference. He married Lois May Shepherdson in 1942 and they subsequently had two children. In the fall of 1945 Carl and Lois May returned to Union College and both graduated in 1949. He was then called to the Missouri Conference as a pastor, and in 1955 was ordained to the gospel ministry.
In 1955 the Watts family received a call to work as missionaries in Japan. Carl served the Publishing Department for five years before moving to be the Publishing Secretary of the Japan Union Mission. In 1960 he became the President of the Okinawa Mission, and In 1967 the President of the Japan Union Mission. His final mission appointment was as the Field Secretary of the Far Eastern Division beginning in 1972 for one year until the family returned to the United States.
In addition to his regular administrative service, Watts oversaw two notable projects. The first is the building of the Adventist hospital in Okinawa, Japan, in 1960, when he was the President of the Okinawa Mission. And in 1972, when he was serving in the Division, he assisted in the building of the Kobe Adventist Hospital in Kobe, Japan. These were monumental achievements as the only Adventist hospital in Japan at the time was in Tokyo. He also led the way to the Union leadership being turned over to the indigenous people as he was the last non-Japanese president of the Japan Union Mission.
After their 18 years of missionary service in Japan, Carl and Lois May, in 1973, returned to the United States where Carl became the pastor of the Escondido, California, church. Carl retired in 1989, and passed away on April 17, 2016.
Found in 2 Collections and/or Records:
Carl B. Watts Papers
Collection
Identifier: Collection 347
Content Description
The Carl B. Watts collection is a series of documents that shows the Adventist Missionary work done in Japan from the 1950s until the 1970s. This collection includes personal documents most of which are preparations for his move from America to Japan as well as photos that were sent to him by friends and other miscellaneous items. It also documents the Adventist work done in Japan from the 1950s to the early 1970s when Japan was being rebuilt following the devastation of World War II....
Dates:
Majority of material found within 1955 - 1972
Carl B. Watts Papers
Accession
Identifier: Collection 347
Dates:
Majority of material found within 1955 - 1972